Letter: Heartfelt thanks from event organizer

On Sunday, Oct. 14, we held a full-day event in downtown Denville to raise money for charity and to bring in business for Denville merchants and restaurants. The day was a smashing success and I'm happy to say that we raised over $51,000 to give back to our charities. We will be writing checks of $17,000 to each of the three causes.

The team from Denville: Up and Running and Band+Aid on Broadway would like to thank everyone for coming to support the charities and the Denville businesses. We are grateful to our generous sponsors and to the more than 350 volunteers that made the day happen. The students and teachers from Morris Knolls and Valleyview Middle School were essential in every aspect of the event and accounted for more than half of the volunteers. Thanks to the fantastic bands who put on nine hours of great live music right in the heart of Denville.

Special thanks to the Police, the Department of Public Works, the Fire Department and EMTs whose professionalism and expertise enabled the day to go off without a hitch.

Because of all who helped out, we were able to contribute to these important Denville causes: equipping the Valleyview Fire House destroyed by Hurricane Irene. This is important for both logistical, response-time purposes for the township and in letting the firemen know that the community appreciates everything they do in keeping us safe.

The Joey Bella Memorial Fund - for 25 years, the Joey Bella Memorial Fund has been helping families of children with life-threatening illnesses. The support they offer is more than just financial - they help families navigate a complex system and offer comfort in the time when the families need it most.

Juliana Donnelly Charitable Trust - Juliana is the beautiful 5-year-old daughter of 17-year Denville police veteran Sgt. Brian Donnelly who has been bravely fighting a rare brain tumor. The entire community has rallied around Juliana, and Sgt. Brian Donnelly was on hand on the 14th to accept the No. 1 race bib on her behalf.

Our charities are important to us and we appreciate the support the community has shown them. For more information on how you can still help out each of these causes, please visit www.denvilleupandrunning.com.